Congratulations to the University of Florida College of Dentistry’s Valeria Gordan, D.D.S., M.S.-Cl., who received one of only two UF Foundation Term Professorship Awards for 2025-26. This is the second time a UFCD faculty was selected for this prestigious award that was created in 2013 to invest in the research endeavors of UF faculty members whose work is transforming lives.
“Dr. Gordan is a highly productive, innovative, and impactful faculty. Her accomplishments in research, education, mentorship, and service reflect a deep commitment to excellence. Her ability to bridge rigorous science with real-world clinical application exemplifies the mission of UFCD and serves as a model for faculty both nationally and internationally. Through her work, she has elevated UF’s reputation to the global stage in the field of dentistry,” said Dean A. Isabel Garcia, D.D.S., M.P.H.s
Gordan, a tenured distinguished professor in the UF Department of Restorative Dental Sciences Division of Operative Dentistry, joined the college in 1997. In late 2020, Gordan began serving as interim associate dean for research of the UF College of Dentistry and was appointed to that role permanently in 2023.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award and am also grateful for the support of my colleagues at UF and in dentistry across the nation and worldwide because none of our accomplishments are achieved on our own. It’s always a team effort,” Gordan said.
Gordan was instrumental in establishing the National Dental Practice Based Research Network, or NDPBRN, a multi-million-dollar collaborative agreement between UF and the University of Alabama that includes over 8,500 participating dentists across the nation. This initiative—the only of its kind funded by NIH—addresses clinical questions encountered in everyday dental practice. She currently serves as the director of the South Atlantic Region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. In 2022 she was named a distinguished professor by UF and received the Academy of Operative Dentistry’s prestigious Hollenback Memorial Prize, an international award that recognizes her distinguished research, leadership and substantial contributions toward the advancement of restorative dentistry.
Gordan’s copious body of work includes over 200 peer-reviewed publications, three monographs, three international invited book chapters, and innumerable instructional materials and videos. Her H-index of 49, and over 7,500 citations, and 47,000 reads reflect the substantial impact of her scholarship in practice-based research and minimally invasive restorative dentistry, placing her in the top 1% of researchers in dentistry.
Furthermore, six of her articles have been featured as cover stories in the Journal of the American Dental Association, underscoring her ability to produce research that is both scientifically rigorous and clinically relevant. She is frequently invited to give presentations at international and national meetings, and is well known and respected globally for her work in minimally invasive dentistry and practice-based research.
The UF Foundation awards two $25,000 term professorships annually, for the duration of three years. Awardees must have substantial research assignments and outstanding records of accomplishment.